Google’s ever-changing home page doodle has gone wild today honoring the birthday of children’s author Maurice Sendak; he would have celebrated 85 years today. The almost two-minute tribute features characters and illustrations from Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, In the Night Kitchen, and Bumble-Ardy. Watch the clip in full at Fast Company to stir up some childhood nostalgia and whimsy. … [Read more...]

Like most people, when I see tragedy, I find myself heartbroken. I take in the images, the firsthand accounts, the details, the analysis. I wrestle with the elusive and mysterious reasons why, whispering prayers for the unknown victims. I remind myself that God is not absent, even though it may seem so if measured by the anguished faces.I silently, privately, selfishly, express gratitude that for the moment, tragedy is not on my own doorstep. In this honest place, I am reminded that my place … [Read more...]

Mixed Signals is an occasional column in which Erin Straza muses about marketing miscellany in advertising, branding, and messaging.Momentum. It’s what gets wheels turning and rocks rolling and online mobs . . . um . . . flashing.The flash mob phenomenon occurs when many people gather up the strength of their cyberspace voices and unleash it in a particular direction. Typically, it’s toward a person or organization or idea that has gained attention for unpopular views or improper beh … [Read more...]

"We may not see this sort of slavery in the open, but it is there, lurking in shadows and on the fringes of society, quietly engulfing its victims for an estimated $32 billion in profits worldwide annually." Unthinkable things happen around the world today. A quick scan of the headlines is enough to weigh down the heart with reports of atrocities and tragedies and calamities and more. Here in the United States, things are far from perfect, but generally speaking, we have a measure of comfort … [Read more...]

Ah, clichés -- the shorthand of our day. These phrases pack a punch of meaning and give us linguistic shortcuts that are often helpful. But those that are overused and overexposed can get on our nerves. Many publishers develop lists of clichés for writers to avoid -- such as the one for the Washington Post "Outlook" section, recently noted by journalist Jim Romenesko. Taken one at a time, these words don’t seem so harmful. But what if these words and phrases were consumed in one sitting? (Then yo … [Read more...]

Some common ground has been found for atheists and Christians. It’s called "awe."A recent Good.is article by Tom Greenall (an architect at DSDHA and studio tutor at the Royal College of Art) details how he and several colleagues teamed up with Alain De Botton, who was writing Religion for Atheists, to explore what atheists and secularists might learn from traditional theist practices. Together, they worked “to develop designs for a series of 'temples to atheists,' which would feature in his b … [Read more...]

Drastic changes by Yahoo CEO Melissa Mayer have received a lot of attention in the past week or so. After reviewing the numbers, Mayer found that off-site work productivity was dismal. She decided, for the company’s health, to remove the telecommuting option -- for the time being, at least. Yahoo employees must now work in the office, together. Mayer hopes the collaboration and focus will push Yahoo to a more stable future.Some have voiced approval, including Anne-Marie Slaughter, who wrote i … [Read more...]

Distance-running phenom Mo Farah—the Brit who just won double Gold (5,000M / 10,000M) at the 2012 London Games—has likely run countless races and been interviewed countless times over the course of his career. I’m guessing that eventually the post-race interview gets to be rather typical. Even routine.But the interview he experienced this past weekend after winning the half marathon in the New Orleans Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series was anything but typical or routine.After clocking a new c … [Read more...]

Do you know how many lies you tell a week? (I don’t either.)But according to an article posted at The Atlantic, “the average American tells 11 lies per week.” The reason for such dishonesty varies by person and situation, to be sure. Whether it’s to save money or save face, lying is one way we try to manipulate life to our benefit.Research shows, however, that we weave these webs of deceit to our own health's detriment. A study found that participants who consciously tried t … [Read more...]